Microsystem technology has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world

Micro milling technology

In order to meet the economic constraints while achieving the quality and precision required for micro-milling, the entire manufacturing chain must be optimized and synchronized. Suppliers of CNC machine tools, tools, tool holders, fixtures and quality control equipment need to provide the right solution at a competitive cost.

The following is a list of the main issues that should be addressed in a micro-milling environment:

1) Tools, holders and spindles

â—† Small-sized tools are the implementers of micro-milling. Depending on the size of the workpiece, they can be as small as 0.1 mm and may become smaller in the future. Tool availability and cost must be considered when entrusting a micro milling project.

â—† When using small diameter tools, the high speed spindle is crucial. Using a 0.1mm diameter tool at 10,000 rpm of the spindle means that the cutting speed (Vc) is only 3.3m/min, which is too low!

â—† For spindles with a speed class of 20,000-150,000, it is necessary to combine the spindle and the thermal expansion shank for full dynamic balance and zero runout. Otherwise, the surface quality will be impaired and the tool life will be significantly shortened.

2) Fixtures, clamping systems and manufacturing processes

â—† In most cases, the production of micro-milled parts should be done in one setup. For example, combining EDM with milling is likely to cause unacceptable misalignment and tooling marks.

3) Machine and workshop floor

â—† Needless to say, the machine tool must be consistent in accuracy and can distinguish four decimal places (size sensors).

â—†Micro-milling makes good use of the function of five-axis milling. The ability to tilt the tool away from the material allows it to use shorter tools. However, since the current accuracy of five-axis simultaneous milling is worse than that of three-axis milling, when five-axis linkage is used for micro-milling, the machine specifications and actual performance must be carefully verified.

â—† The machine environment must have a controlled temperature (software compensation may not be sufficient) and avoid vibration. If the machine is not properly isolated, even a heavy truck passing through the plant may generate enough vibration to leave marks on the surface of the workpiece.

4) Milling technology

Depending on the geometry of the part, micro-milling may require a special machining strategy that goes beyond simple scaling down. For example, in many cases, up-cut milling (and non-wind milling) will be the preferred milling strategy.

A high-precision micro-milling CAD/CAM solution for mold making has a complete set of easy-to-use 3-D tools.

CAD/CAM system requirements

Everyone intuitively believes that milling machines, tool holders and tools are difficult to scale down to the extremely small size and extremely high precision required for micro milling. At first glance, the software seems to be easier to match. After all, some people say that dealing with numbers like 0.0001 should be as easy for software as it is to handle 1.0 or 10.

A high-precision micro-milling CAD/CAM solution for mold making has a complete set of easy-to-use 3-D tools.

But it is more complicated than it is presented. Generating and modifying geometries with the right precision, smoothness, and continuity is just an entry point for CAD solutions for small parts. In order to get a functional solution for micro-milling, the CAD system must be carefully tuned and optimized to support the following requirements:

1. Read the part model reliably and accurately. Minimizing the need for multiple data transformations is critical to maintaining the accuracy of detailed models.

2. When creating a parting surface or creating a geometry for the slider, pusher and ejector rod, a tight 0.1-0.01 micron geometric tolerance is functional. This is necessary in order to prevent gaps between the parting faces and to maintain the continuity of C1 and C2.

3. Handling multi-cavity molds with very small specifications, including specialized sample parts and components.

The CAM system must also be optimized for micro milling. NC software must handle tight tolerances and ultra-high precision machining. And since the operator cannot intervene to prevent tool damage, the NC software must accurately consider the chip load throughout the process.

To fully support micro-milling, CAM software should be able to:

â—† Precisely use very detailed mathematical models to maintain their complexity. Having an integrated CAD/CAM solution is ideal because it eliminates any data conversion during processing.

â—† Include high-precision, built-in CAD capabilities within the CAD system to provide styling assistance with appropriate precision and tangential fit within the CAM system (eg, profile capping, extension, etc.).

â—† Support tool path calculation with deviation as low as 0.1 micron. This is especially challenging when machining fine features on large parts.

â—† Support the calculation of micro milling level parameters when considering actual machine constraints.

For example, a CAM system may require a 0.1 mm diameter tool, a 0.005 mm step, and a 10x 0.05 mm tip radius to provide superfine results.

The resulting tool path must be accurate to five decimal places.

â—† Supports machining strategies optimized for micro-milling, such as roughing, semi-finishing and finishing with the same NC operation.

â—† In order to reduce the machining time while protecting the precision tool from damage, the knowledge of adjusting the feed amount according to the actual machining allowance to control the actual tool load is used throughout the machining process.

Summary: Microsystems, micro-molding and micro-milling are novel and exciting technologies for mass production of micro-parts. With sub-micron precision and tool tips that are almost invisible to the naked eye, this emerging and rapidly growing field presents numerous challenges for moldmakers and suppliers. New materials, new tools, special mold coatings and innovative CAD/CAM software technologies must be researched and mastered.

On the plus side, micro-systems and micro-milling offer new opportunities for moldmakers looking for differentiation, getting more business and being in a better position than low-wage competitors.

Effective development in this area requires cooperation between industry, research institutions and governments. This cooperation is already under way in Europe. The European Union's Technical Cooperation Research Initiative (CRAFT) project brings together Fraunhofer Institute of Production Technology (IPT) and leading suppliers of CAD/CAM, CNC machine tools, tools and fixtures to develop next-generation materials, machine tools and software tools for micro-manufacturing and Working methodology. It is time for the North American tool industry to join the development of this emerging and compelling and profitable market segment.

Introduction to micro milling

Microsystem technology has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world, and there is a large demand for industries that need to manufacture extremely small, high-precision parts, such as bio-medical equipment, optics, and microelectronics, including mobile communications and computer components. .

Parts requiring micro-system machining have an accuracy of up to 5 mm or less and a surface quality of 0.2 mm or less, and the hardness of parts is also 45 HRC or higher.

Micro-milling is a new processing technology for machining small parts and high-precision parts. Micro-milling uses very small tools (less than 0.1mm in diameter) and can achieve very small surface tolerances and high-quality surface accuracy. Universal NC software cannot achieve this precision, so manufacturers have to face the following huge challenges. : Part deformation, increased complexity, machining of small features with extremely high precision, and the use of special tools in the micron range. For example, a workpiece with a diameter of 0.1 mm meets the above requirements in order to obtain a curved surface with high precision. The micro-milling technology needs to achieve the following support: a small-diameter cutter of 100 mm or less; a profile ratio (L/D) of 10 or a high speed of up to 100 Tool; 150000r/min or higher spindle speed; 0.1mm or less machining tolerance; ability to correct geometry.

Micro-milling is the future of high-speed milling of CNC machine tools, and companies that are proficient in micro-finishing molds will have greater competitiveness.

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